[ Thanks to Tony Mobily
for this link. ]
“In 2002, the then–U.S. Ambassador to Peru John Hilton
delivered a threatening letter to the Peruvian congress on behalf
of a powerful American private interest. The letter, which was
leaked to the press, stated that the Microsoft Corporation and its
chairman Bill Gates disapproved of Peruvian politicians debating a
proposed law, Special Bill 1609, which favored the use of free
software in public administration. Hilton warned its passage would
harm U.S.-Peru relations. The bill was quietly dropped after
then–Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo was invited by
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates to personally receive a donation for
a Toledo controlled Peruvian foundation.“This incident was an early salvo in a brewing international
conflict over free software…”